RCIA

By Julie M. Miller
Catholic Herald

RCIA: Parish involvement is key to success

SUPERIOR -- Fall is the time of year when many parishes begin holding inquiry meetings for people interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. The meetings are the first step in the Rite of Christian Initiation, the process by which adults are received into the Catholic Church. Last year 195 people -- 46 catechumens and 149 candidates -- in the the Superior diocese participated in the RCIA process.

The rite calls for priests, deacons, catechists, and other lay persons to take an active part in the formation of the catechumens and candidates. In addition to the leaders and RCIA team members, there is also a role for the other parishioners to play.

Involvement of the parish community not only benefits the RCIA process, but it can revitalize the whole parish. According to a study by the U.S. bishops, the Rite of Christian Initiation "has the power to transform parishes when implemented as the rite is intended."

Five committees of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops released the study, "Journey to the Fullness of Life: A Report of the Implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the United States," on Oct. 16.

RCIA leaders in the Superior diocese recognize the importance of getting the larger parish community involved in the RCIA process. According to Richard Lyons, pastoral services director for the Superior diocese, the focus of the diocesan spring conference (to be held April 28, 2001) will be on the role of RCIA to a parish.

The process "brings people into the church, but the real power of RCIA is that it can bring the whole parish into a deeper conversion into our Catholic faith," said Lyons, who along with his wife, Judy, are the directors of RCIA at the Cathedral of Christ the King Parish in Superior.

Getting greater parish involvement is viewed as a major challenge by many RCIA leaders in the diocese. The many benefits RCIA brings to the individuals in the program and to the parish outweigh the difficulties, they say.

Deacon Chester E. Ball, Jr., RCIA director at St. Anthony de Padua Parish in Park Falls, feels those who complete the RCIA process undergo a greater conversion and are more likely to remain in the church.

"It helps their spirituality grow deeper and deeper. We can be confident they will continue to grow in their faith. Under the old system where they went to the rectory for instruction, it was taking a gamble as to where their faith was," he said.

St. Anthony is part of a cluster with Immaculate Conception, Butternut and St. Francis Assisi, Fifield, which participate in the RCIA program.

It can be difficult for small rural parishes to launch formal RCIA programs. The Gilman-Lublin-Sheldon-Jump River cluster of parishes has just started RCIA under the direction of Sr. Ann Manthey, a Franciscan. She joined the cluster as pastoral associate in July to take charge of religious education and sacrament preparation for kindergarten through 12th grade. When she arrived, she volunteered for RCIA too.

Using the experience she gained in 14 years as RCIA director at Cathedral of Christ the King Parish in Superior, Manthey has been able to establish a program and has about 20 people participating. Five are catechumens and the rest are candidates baptized in other churches. She hopes to invite some parishioners to serve on a team in the future.

One of the challenges that Manthey faces is "getting the word out" about RCIA to the cluster of parishes, which are spread over a great distance. She said there is no local newspaper, so the church bulletin is the only means of communicating about parish programs.

Ken and Sharon Schaefer, RCIA coordinators at St. Joseph Parish in Rice Lake, use bulletin announcements to invite parishioners as well as inquirers to RCIA sessions. Ken described parishioner participation in RCIA as a chance for faith sharing that can also help long-time Catholics with problems they have with the church.

At Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Medford, George and Elaine Southworth have started inviting parishioners to attend RCIA sessions. None have attended yet, but Elaine said she expects some to attend when a particular topic interests them.

The dismissal of catechumens at Mass can also foster parish involvement, according to Carol Fleury, who said, "The best way is for everybody to see them every Sunday when they march out." Fleury and Deacon Ronald J. Bosi direct RCIA at St. Joseph Parish in Rhinelander.

Ball also mentioned the dismissal of the catechumens. "Part of the RCIA is that (participants) are encouraged to come" to Sunday Mass. They are dismissed after the Liturgy of the Word to study the Scriptures. "That gives the congregation an idea of the importance of the Eucharist."

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